Description:

East Asia, China, Shang Dynasty, ca. 16th to 11th century BCE. A beautiful pendant in the form of an elongated celt, hand-carved from nephrite of a banded grey-green hue. The rectangular pendant tapers slightly towards the biconically-drilled suspension hole, and the bottom bears two pointed corners and an unsharpened edge. Size: 2.2" W x 8.4" H (5.6 cm x 21.3 cm)

Yu, the Chinese word for jade/nephrite, is also an idea - of a steadfastness and reliability, mirrored in the abrasion techniques required to make these intricate works of art. Yu is also not bound by the mineralogical definition of jade - over the millennia that it has been carved in China, the people have had varying access to sources of jade and nephrite - but is rather a wider term for hard stone. From the Neolithic period forward, the Chinese buried jade with the dead, often broken or placed ceremonially on the body; they also used it in life for performing rituals.

Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection; ex-Arts du Monde, New York, USA, collected in the late 1980s to 1990s

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#155667

  • Condition: Tiny chip from blade edge and another from the butt edge; otherwise in very fine condition with light wear commensurate with age.

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July 1, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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